It is just a story about a girl and a buffalo-man. Or at least, that is what the cynics say when they see the yellow dress and the CGI castle. But then the music starts. That specific, descending five-note piano motif kicks in, and suddenly, you are six years old again, or maybe you're thirty-six and realizing your life hasn't gone quite as planned. Song lyrics Beauty and the Beast have this weird, almost medicinal power to bypass our logical brains and go straight for the tear ducts.
Howard Ashman knew what he was doing.
When he wrote those lines, he wasn't just thinking about a French fairy tale. He was dying. Ashman was battling complications from AIDS while working on the 1991 Disney masterpiece, and once you know that, the words "bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong" hit like a freight train. It’s not just about a magic curse. It’s about the terrifying, messy process of becoming a better person for someone else.
The Howard Ashman Legacy and the "Small" Story
Most people think big anthems need big words. They don't. The brilliance of the song lyrics Beauty and the Beast is their utter simplicity. Look at the opening. "Tale as old as time." It’s a cliché now, sure. But in 1991, it was a bold statement of timelessness. Ashman and composer Alan Menken weren't trying to be edgy. They were trying to be eternal.
- The "I Want" Song: "Belle" sets the stage by telling us she wants "much more than this provincial life." It’s relatable because everyone feels stuck sometimes.
- The Villain’s Ego: "Gaston" is a masterclass in wordplay. "I use antlers in all of my decorating" is a line that shouldn't work, but it characterizes him perfectly as a man who consumes everything around him.
- The Heart: The title track. It’s barely a few stanzas long.
Honestly, the brevity is the point. You don't need a ten-minute rock opera to explain that two people who didn't like each other very much found common ground over a library and some birds in the snow.
Why the 2017 Emma Watson Version Changed the Vibe
When Disney decided to go live-action, they had a problem. You can’t just copy-paste 1991. The audience has changed. We're more skeptical now. We ask questions like, "Wait, why did the village forget there was a giant castle five miles away?"
The new song lyrics Beauty and the Beast had to bridge that gap. They added "Evermore" for the Beast, which gave him a voice he never really had in the original. In the '91 version, he’s mostly a brooding presence who screams about dinner. In the remake, Dan Stevens gets to belt out about his "frozen heart" and how he'll wait for her forever. It’s a bit more "musical theater" and a bit less "folk tale," but it works for a modern audience that craves psychological depth.
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But there’s a catch.
Some fans argue that the 2017 lyrics lost the "zip." Howard Ashman’s death meant that the new songs, while written by the legendary Alan Menken and Tim Rice, felt different. Rice is a genius—look at Lion King—but his style is more grand and sweeping. Ashman was conversational. He wrote lyrics that sounded like things people actually say when they’re nervous or in love.
The Technical Magic of "Something There"
Let’s talk about "Something There" for a second. This is the pivot point of the whole movie. If this song fails, the romance feels fake.
The lyrics are mostly internal monologues. Belle says, "He's dear, and unsure. I wonder why I didn't see it there before." It’s the realization that her initial judgment was flawed. We’ve all been there. You meet someone, you think they’re a jerk, and then they do one nice thing—like not eating you—and suddenly they’re charming.
The meter of these lyrics is bouncy. It’s uncertain. It mirrors the feeling of a new crush. It’s not a sweeping declaration of soulmates; it’s a "new and a bit alarming" realization. That’s why it feels real.
The Celine Dion vs. Ariana Grande Debate
If you grew up in the 90s, Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson are the gold standard. Their version of the title track was a pop powerhouse. It defined the "Disney Ballad" era.
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Then came 2017 with Ariana Grande and John Legend.
People hated it. People loved it. Basically, the internet did what the internet does. The 2017 version is slicker. It’s got more R&B influence. But the song lyrics Beauty and the Beast remain the anchor. Whether it's a powerhouse diva or a modern pop star, the words "Ever just as true, ever a surprise" still carry the weight. You can't mess up a perfect melody and a perfect sentiment, though some would argue the heavy production on the newer version tried its best to hide the heart of the song.
Fact-Checking the "Gaston" Lyrics
There is a persistent rumor that some of the lyrics in "Gaston" were too "raunchy" for Disney. This is actually somewhat true. In the original Broadway run and some early drafts, there were lines about Gaston’s prowess that were dialed back for the G-rated film.
However, the line "Every last inch of me's covered with hair" stayed in. It’s a hilarious, slightly gross bit of characterization that reminds us Gaston isn't just a villain; he’s a caricature of toxic masculinity before we even had a common word for it.
The Subtext You Might Have Missed
"Be Our Guest" is often dismissed as a fun, flashy dance number with plates. But look at the lyrics again. "Life is so unnerving / For a servant who's not serving."
That is dark.
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Lumiere and the gang are literally losing their humanity. If they aren't useful, they have no purpose. The song is a desperate plea for a moment of normalcy. They aren't just being polite; they are fighting for their souls. The upbeat tempo hides a deep, existential dread that only becomes clear when you really sit with the words.
Practical Ways to Appreciate the Music Today
If you’re a fan or a musician, there’s actually a lot to learn from this soundtrack. It’s not just for kids.
- Listen to the "Work Tape" versions: You can find these on various "Legacy Collection" albums. Hearing Howard Ashman sing the lyrics himself gives you a completely different perspective on the intent behind the words.
- Compare the Broadway Script: The stage musical adds several songs like "Home" and "If I Can't Love Her." These expand on the themes of the song lyrics Beauty and the Beast by focusing on the Beast's depression and Belle's isolation.
- Analyze the Rhyme Schemes: Ashman was a fan of internal rhyme. "Dazed and distracted, can't tell up from down" in the opening number is a great example of how he built rhythm without needing a heavy drum beat.
The real power of these songs isn't in the production or the celebrity voices. It’s in the fact that they describe universal human experiences—fear of the unknown, the regret of past mistakes, and the slow, quiet growth of affection.
To really get the most out of the soundtrack, try listening to the 1991 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack back-to-back with the 2017 version. Pay attention to the phrasing. Notice how the Beast’s internal journey is voiced differently in the two eras. You might find that while the 1991 version relies on the lyrics of others to describe him, the 2017 version gives him the lyrical agency to describe himself.
Go find the "Demo" versions of these tracks on streaming platforms. Hearing the raw, unfinished versions of "Be Our Guest" or "Kill the Beast" reveals the craftsmanship that went into every syllable. It shows that these weren't just "cartoon songs"—they were pieces of musical theater designed to stand the test of time, and they’ve done exactly that.
Next Steps for Fans
- Search for the "Howard Ashman Demos" on YouTube or Spotify to hear the original vision for the lyrics.
- Read the 1994 Broadway libretto to see how the story was expanded for the stage.
- Compare the literal French-to-English translations of the original "La Belle et la Bête" stories to see how much Disney simplified (or deepened) the narrative.